(B35) Rock-It Sounds R-Shield: Essentially a set of earmuffs with drivers, the R-Shield delivers good sound on top of eerie isolation

Build Quality (8.5/10): Rock-It Sounds certainly placed durability and functionality (far) above aesthetics here - the R-Shield strongly resembles a set of earmuffs with its deep cups and thick vinyl pads. The structure is metal and seems nicely made but the construction is a little rough around the edges. Some of the metal bits are a sharp and the external cable routing is anything but sleek. The orange cable does contrast the matte black finish nicely but ‘stylish’ is still the last word that comes to mind when discussing the R-Shield.

Comfort (7/10): The vinyl padding of the R-Shield is designed to block out external noise but the foam is soft and conforming all around. There is enough play in the joints of the headphone for a compliant fit. The only two complaints have to do with the headband, which is shorter than average and may not fill larger heads, and the nature of the sound-isolating padding, which is not breathable in the least and induces sweat very quickly when worn.

Isolation (10/10): Isolation was clearly a design goal of the R-Shield and the headphone succeeds in providing some of the best isolation on the market. Wearing the R-Shield provides an eerie sense of isolation from the outside world – a sensation very similar to wearing a set of industrial earmuffs, from which these draw inspiration.

Sound (7/10): The clear, well-defined sound of the R-Shield is just the sort of thing needed for use in noisy environments. Overall, the R-Shield’s sound signature leans slightly towards the bright side of neutral. The bass is punchy and crisp but doesn’t extend all the way down, causing the R-Shield to lack rumble and depth compared to the Monoprice 8323 and many similarly-priced sets. The Monoprice is much warmer, with more bass bleed and poorer clarity. The R-Shield, on the other hand has bass punch slightly above that of the Sennheiser HD428 and no bleed. The midrange is clear and strong. Vocals are prominent but not warmed-up as is often the case with mid-range portables. There is emphasis placed on the upper midrange and lower treble for a brighter sound but the energy is not excessive and the R-Shield is neither harsh nor sibilant. Top-end presence is better than with the darker, rolled-off Monoprice 8323 and comparable to the HD428, only more energetic.

Soundstaging is a little less straightforward – perhaps it is due to the noise-blocking properties of the cups that the R-Shield sounds quite forward and aggressive. There’s not much width or depth to the soundstage – width is poorer than with the Sennheiser HD428 and depth is comparable. Still, the presentation is surprisingly enjoyable. Stereo separation is good and the impressive definition prevents the R-Shield from sounding congested except during the busiest passages. The Monoprice 8323, for example, is a more serious offender in terms of soundstage versatility to my ears.

Value (8.5/10). (MSRP: $69.99; Street Price: $70) The R-Shield is a purpose-built noise assassin, first and foremost providing isolation that is simply unmatched among small circumaural headphones. The build is solid and the sound is crisp and clear, with the only issues being mediocre bass extension and constrained presentation. Comfort is also good aside from the expected heat build-up. That said, while beauty surely is in the eye of the beholder, the R-Shield is just not something I can imagine seeing worn in public. For use in other high-noise environments - a machine shop, for example - it is excellent.

Nice review. I thought they sounded rather nice for the price as well and isolation is insane (you'll be able to find my review on here somewhere).

I also took the r-shield to a head fi meet and people tried them on just because of there look and quite liked them, not shabby consodering the rest of the headphones there were 10x the price with 10x the price amps!

I have tons of possible review subjects, just not enough time. One of the new Astrotec portables sounds pretty nice upon initial listen .

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swimsonny

Nice review. I thought they sounded rather nice for the price as well and isolation is insane (you'll be able to find my review on here somewhere).
I also took the r-shield to a head fi meet and people tried them on just because of there look and quite liked them, not shabby consodering the rest of the headphones there were 10x the price with 10x the price amps!

Thanks. Yep, the isolation is incredible. I can easily see them turning heads at a head-fi meet, too - they'll stand out like a sore thumb.

Thing is though the people who tried them were actually really suprised at the sound and coming from say a Stax or Audeze rig that's a bold statement. It was not like people sound they close but still thought the sounded nice, I did mention there price of course. Also they were not the only silly looking headphones there, come of them were a bit "odd" looking.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Armaegis

Do you think they might edge out the DT1350 for isolation?

I think these are rather handily better in isolating than the DT1350 although Beyer's do sound a lot better of course. These things actually isolate like ear protectors of chainsaw ear muffs my dad has.Edited by Swimsonny - 9/17/12 at 11:59pm

i've only posted a few other times, under a different user name. i created a new account (my apologies) because i cannot seem to remember the info, etc. anyway, my sony mdr-v6's crapped out. the wiring on the left side split/severed after getting caught in the fold when collapsing. the right side is on its way to the same fate. anyway, of course i stopped back by to review my options. again, many many thanks to the original poster (ljokerl). this is a great resource, despite the subjectivity that goes into such an endeavor. i'm happy to announce that i have purchased the Sennheiser HD448s. i didn't really read about them here in this thread (some other thread mentioned them and got pretty good reviews, and i'm not sure they're marketed as portable). however, it is because of this thread that i was able to make an informed decision and i'm excited about the (mild) upgrade. i will basicaly use them for recreational listening and bedroom demo recordings (i may venture into "amp" territory, too). i still highly recommend the V6's but, only if that's what your budget allows. they were good for the year i had them (light use, actually). anyway, just sharin' some love for the OP's dedication to this thread. thanks again!

Thanks . I need to update this thread more often - previous update was 5 months ago.

Eh, I hear ya, I've been anticipating a new review for the longest! Haha. :) Still hoping you will post some thoughts on the KRK KNS-8400 at some point. Definitely a portable that needs to be in your lineup, IMO.

currently a-bing my ath-es7s with urbanears pattans. at first listen without a-b comparison (hadnt listened to my es7s in a day) i was impressed and thought the pattans were giving them a run for their money. however, i am now hearing the veiled mids, specifically in the vocal range of the lead as well as backup singers in the album "Damnation" by Opeth. This is one of my favorite vocal albums, and is a must try when listening to a new pair of cans, as there is a lot of detail, imaging, and overall nuances in the songs. For dubstep the pattans basically keep up, but there is still a veil over the entire range. male and female voices seem slightly more distant, but not only that- they seem like there is a blanket between you and the vocalist.

right now i am choosing between the fantastic-sounding yet very much more fragile ath-es7 and the pattans which have a mic. as main portables with a phone as my music player, i would very much like to have a microphone, and have something that will take abuse.

I am also looking at studio monitor cans for use in my sound recording and engineering class, and have decided that i would like something with more clarity than my dt770 pro-80s.

i recently went to frys and spent a minute with the sony MDRV55 (i think) which sounded pretty darn clear. also tried the ath-m50s and they sounded much clearer but i only tried them out of my phone, and the bass was kind of bloated and not very well defined it seemed. Maybe it was just because i was only using my phone. The guy seemed like he didnt think the sound would be different out of a proper amp...

i also only spent a minute with each of these so my impressions are very limited. will be going back to this area to demo studio monitor speakers, and will hit up the headphone section too.

Yes. Their isolation is very similar to a proper set of earmuffs. I might re-scale the thread a little when I have time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Anderson

i've only posted a few other times, under a different user name. i created a new account (my apologies) because i cannot seem to remember the info, etc. anyway, my sony mdr-v6's crapped out. the wiring on the left side split/severed after getting caught in the fold when collapsing. the right side is on its way to the same fate. anyway, of course i stopped back by to review my options. again, many many thanks to the original poster (ljokerl). this is a great resource, despite the subjectivity that goes into such an endeavor. i'm happy to announce that i have purchased the Sennheiser HD448s. i didn't really read about them here in this thread (some other thread mentioned them and got pretty good reviews, and i'm not sure they're marketed as portable). however, it is because of this thread that i was able to make an informed decision and i'm excited about the (mild) upgrade. i will basicaly use them for recreational listening and bedroom demo recordings (i may venture into "amp" territory, too). i still highly recommend the V6's but, only if that's what your budget allows. they were good for the year i had them (light use, actually). anyway, just sharin' some love for the OP's dedication to this thread. thanks again!

I still enjoy my HD428, which by all accounts are pretty similar to the 448s in sound and form factor. Nice neutral set with a reasonably spacious presentation. You'll like them unless you were attached to the bass of the V6.

Quote:

Originally Posted by roma101

Eh, I hear ya, I've been anticipating a new review for the longest! Haha. :) Still hoping you will post some thoughts on the KRK KNS-8400 at some point. Definitely a portable that needs to be in your lineup, IMO.

Next set will probably be something mainstream. Still have all the Ultrasones to review, too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skoobs

currently a-bing my ath-es7s with urbanears pattans. at first listen without a-b comparison (hadnt listened to my es7s in a day) i was impressed and thought the pattans were giving them a run for their money. however, i am now hearing the veiled mids, specifically in the vocal range of the lead as well as backup singers in the album "Damnation" by Opeth. This is one of my favorite vocal albums, and is a must try when listening to a new pair of cans, as there is a lot of detail, imaging, and overall nuances in the songs. For dubstep the pattans basically keep up, but there is still a veil over the entire range. male and female voices seem slightly more distant, but not only that- they seem like there is a blanket between you and the vocalist.

right now i am choosing between the fantastic-sounding yet very much more fragile ath-es7 and the pattans which have a mic. as main portables with a phone as my music player, i would very much like to have a microphone, and have something that will take abuse.

I am also looking at studio monitor cans for use in my sound recording and engineering class, and have decided that i would like something with more clarity than my dt770 pro-80s.

i recently went to frys and spent a minute with the sony MDRV55 (i think) which sounded pretty darn clear. also tried the ath-m50s and they sounded much clearer but i only tried them out of my phone, and the bass was kind of bloated and not very well defined it seemed. Maybe it was just because i was only using my phone. The guy seemed like he didnt think the sound would be different out of a proper amp...

i also only spent a minute with each of these so my impressions are very limited. will be going back to this area to demo studio monitor speakers, and will hit up the headphone section too.

If you thought the M50 were a little on the bloated side I would recommend trying the Denon DN-HP700. Very balanced studio cans with tight bass and good clarity.